﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  1 
  83 
  

  

  the 
  wing, 
  and 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  green 
  on 
  the 
  head, 
  and 
  black 
  about 
  the 
  tail 
  with 
  

   a 
  whitish 
  patch 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  it. 
  In 
  all 
  our 
  species 
  the 
  drakes 
  show 
  this 
  tendency 
  

   to 
  a 
  broken 
  color 
  pattern, 
  some 
  abrupt 
  change 
  in 
  coloration 
  being 
  evident 
  

   abotit 
  the 
  head, 
  wings, 
  and 
  rear 
  flanks. 
  This 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  use 
  for 
  self-pro- 
  

   tection 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  rivalry, 
  the 
  apparent 
  discontinuity 
  of 
  outline 
  rendering 
  

   the 
  bird 
  invisible 
  as 
  he 
  sits 
  motionless 
  on 
  the 
  shore 
  or 
  amongst 
  the 
  grass 
  

   and 
  sticks. 
  

  

  River 
  ducks 
  feed 
  in 
  water 
  so 
  shallow 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  reach 
  the 
  bottom 
  

   with 
  their 
  necks 
  or 
  by 
  bobbing, 
  but 
  seldom 
  dive, 
  except 
  in 
  sport 
  or 
  to 
  escape 
  

   from 
  enemies. 
  The 
  females 
  are 
  sober 
  colored 
  ducks, 
  with 
  mottled 
  plumage, 
  

   but 
  wings 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  drakes. 
  In 
  summer 
  the 
  drakes 
  pass 
  into 
  

   the 
  "eclipse 
  plumage" 
  which 
  resembles 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  ducks. 
  During 
  this 
  

   season 
  they 
  leave 
  the 
  ducks 
  to 
  rear 
  their 
  ducklings 
  alone, 
  and 
  go 
  into 
  seclusion, 
  

   being 
  incapable 
  of 
  flight, 
  since 
  all 
  the 
  wing 
  feathers 
  are 
  lost 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  

   time. 
  With 
  the 
  autumnal 
  molt 
  they 
  regain 
  their 
  gay 
  plumage 
  and 
  

   retain 
  it 
  until 
  the 
  following 
  summer. 
  Unlike 
  the 
  drakes, 
  the 
  ducks 
  molt 
  

   only 
  once 
  a 
  year. 
  As 
  their 
  name 
  signifies 
  these 
  ducks 
  are 
  more 
  confined 
  

   to 
  the 
  marshes 
  and 
  inland 
  waters 
  than 
  the 
  next 
  subfamily. 
  

  

  Anas 
  platyrhynchos 
  Linnaeus 
  

  

  (Anas 
  boschas 
  on 
  plate) 
  

  

  Mallard 
  

  

  Plate 
  12 
  

  

  Anas 
  platyrhynchos 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  1758. 
  1:125 
  

   Anas 
  boschas 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  347, 
  fig. 
  240 
  

  

  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  132 
  

  

  a'nas, 
  Lat., 
  duck; 
  platyrhynchos, 
  Gr. 
  TrAaruppvyxos, 
  flat 
  beak 
  

  

  Description. 
  Male 
  adult: 
  Head 
  and 
  upper 
  neck 
  glossy 
  green 
  ; 
  a 
  white 
  

   ring 
  around 
  the 
  neck 
  just 
  below 
  the 
  green 
  ; 
  lower 
  neck 
  and 
  breast 
  purplish 
  

   chestnut 
  ; 
  under 
  parts 
  and 
  scapulars 
  grayish 
  white 
  finely 
  cross 
  marked 
  with 
  

   dusky 
  undulating 
  lines 
  ; 
  back 
  grayish 
  brown 
  ; 
  rump, 
  crissum 
  and 
  tail 
  coverts 
  

   rich 
  black, 
  glossed 
  with 
  greenish; 
  a 
  white 
  patch 
  on 
  sides 
  of 
  rump 
  just 
  in 
  

   front 
  of 
  the 
  black; 
  central 
  longer 
  tail 
  coverts 
  recurved; 
  tail 
  feathers 
  whitish; 
  

   bill 
  greenish 
  yellow; 
  feet 
  reddish 
  orange; 
  iris 
  brown. 
  Female 
  and 
  young: 
  

   Head 
  and 
  neck 
  buffy, 
  streaked 
  with 
  fuscous, 
  darkest 
  on 
  the 
  crown 
  and 
  a 
  

   line 
  on 
  side 
  of 
  head 
  through 
  the 
  eye 
  ; 
  upper 
  parts 
  fuscous, 
  the 
  feathers 
  with 
  

  

  